||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 35 – Dhoha – 34

 The meeting of Saptharishis with Goddess Jagadamba/Bhavani

The Rishis smiled at her and spoke “Oh! Devi, you happened to take birth in the abode of Mount Himavan, it is impossible to keep quiet after listening to the advice of Maharishi Narada. Who will discard the advice of Maharishi Narada? The sons of Dhaksha listened to the advice of him; they have discarded their homes and never returned to their homes. He transformed the home of Chithrakethu and Hiranyakashipu as well. It is quite definite that whoever listens to the advice of Maharishi Narada would become homeless. His intentions are not good, attired in saffron robes would influence everyone to become ascetic. You have trusted his words and decided to marry a person who is utterly lazy, virtueless, shameless, inauspicious, adorned in skulls as garland, an orphan, has no home of his own, wandering in ragged clothes and skins of animals, decorated with the serpents and spider as ornaments all over the body. What would you earn marrying such a person? You have become the victim of Maharishi Narada, some say Lord Shiva married to Devi Sati and later discarded her and let her die. He is leading a life of a mendicant, careless, taking great pleasure in meditation, and begging for alms. How could you live with a saint who always prefers to be alone? Oh! Devi, listen to us carefully, we have found an appropriate groom for you. He is charming, pure, good-natured and amiable, his fame and glories are eulogized by Veda, he is pure and unblemished, he is a storehouse of virtues.  He is Lakshmipathi and Vaikundavasi as well. We will bring that groom for you. ”

Devi Girija laughed out loudly and began to speak “Oh! Rishi, you have pronounced it right, my body is made of mountains, it may not exist for a long time, but I will not leave my promise. The precious yellow metal originated from the mountain, it is put into a blazing fire to make exquisite ornaments, and it does not leave its nature even after it undergoes extreme heat. I have no fear, I will not discard the advice of Maharishi Narada, whoever does not have faith in the words of their preceptor will not have peace or auspiciousness in their lives. The supreme Lord Mahadeva may have some disadvantages, Lord Vishnu must have endless virtues, and finally whoever gives pleasure to my heart would be chosen in my life. Oh! Munishwara, if you have met me before, I would have dropped the idea of penance and sincerely followed your advice, but I have already married Lord Sadhashiva, therefore I am not worried about his virtues or demerits. I have already promised to myself that even I have to take crores of births I would accept Lord Shambhu as my husband, otherwise I would remain unmarried. I will not discard the advice of Devarishi, even if Lord Shambhu advice me to abandon the penance. I shall prostrate before you, kindly return to your hermitage, it is already late.”  Thus Jagadamba Goddess Bhavani discouraged the Saptharishis. Soon, the Saptharishis were extremely pleased with the devotion of Jagadamba and cheered ‘Hail Bhavani! Hail Jagadamba! You are the Maya of supreme Lord Shiva, you are the mother and Lord Mahadeva is the father of the Universe.” They repeatedly prostrated before the feet of Devi Bhavani and proceeded to the palace of Mount Himavan as per the advice of Lord Mahadeva.

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 34 – Dhoha – 33

The life Lord Mahadeva after Devi Sati's immolation

Maharishi Yajjvalkhya speaks “Oh! Mune, I have described the glorious legend of Devi Uma.  I shall narrate the attractive legend of Lord Shambhu to you. Devi Sati’s immolation in Yogagni created intense grief in Lord Shambhu, it multiplied the Vairagya in him.  He immersed in the contemplation upon supreme Lord Raghunayaka, singing in praise of him and listening to his glorious legends which describe the endless virtues of him.  The supreme Lord Mahadeva who is Chidananda, Sukhadhama, free of Madha/pride, Moha/desire,  and Kama/lust,  liberated soul, took great pleasure in the meditation upon Lord Hari, and aimlessly wandered all over the world. He spends hours giving lectures to illustrious Sages and Rishis, the rest of the hours singing in praise of Lord Hari and his endless virtues. The supreme Lord Mahadeva who is pure and all-pervasive was deeply hurt from the separation of Devi Sati who is a sincere devotee of him. In this way, the supreme Lord Mahadeva spends several years contemplating upon supreme Lord Hari.  Lord Rama who is grateful, ocean of mercy, a storehouse of virtues and auspiciousness, extremely valorous, was highly pleased to witness the disciplines, austerities, compassion and intense devotion of Lord Mahadeva, appeared before him and highly appreciated Lord Mahadeva.  Further, Rama informed the birth of Devi Sati as the daughter of Mount Himavan, he explained her virtues and austerities, and he highly praised the penances of Goddess Girija to Lord Mahadeva. Lord Rama requested Lord Mahadeva to marry Girja.”

Lord Shiva speaks “Oh! Prabho, I cannot disregard your kind words, even though I am not prepared for it. I shall follow your words, it is my Dharma. It is strongly recommended in scriptures to sincerely follow the words of parents, preceptor, and Lord, that could bring all the auspiciousness. Oh! Prabho, you are most promising to me, I shall sincerely follow your advice.”

Maharishi Yajjavalkhya speaks “ Oh! Mune, Lord Rama was highly pleased to listen to the devoted, intelligent, and righteous words of Lord Shambhu, thus Lord Rama disappeared from the sight of Lord Shankara. Immediately, Saptharishis appeared before Lord Shambhu has advised them pleasingly “Oh! Rishis, test the devotion of Devi Parvathi, and inform Himavan to take Devi Parvathi to his abode, and clear all their doubts.” The Rishis arrived at the place where Devi Girija was undertaking penance, realized that Devi Gauri is none other than Tapasya. They approached her and spoke “Oh! Devi, Oh! Shailakumari, listen to us, what is the reason for your extreme penance? Who is your beloved Lord? What’s the reason behind your extreme penance?” Devi Gauri began to speak “Oh! Rishis, you may feel unreasonable after listening to the purpose of my Tapasya. You may feel I am ignorant, I have already taken a promise, it may sound the wall built on the water. I feel like flying without wings after listening to the predictions of Maharishi Narada. Oh! Rishis, I am an ignorant one, wanted to attain Lord Sadashiva as my husband.”

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 33 – Dhoha – 32

The penance of Devi Parvathi

Devi Bhavani who is the mother of the Universe and its living being looked at her mother affectionately and spoke to her in a soft voice “Oh! Mother, I shall narrate the dream I had witnessed to you. I saw a handsome young Vipra who advised me in my dreams. “Oh! Shailakumari, follow the advice of Maharishi Narada and undertake penance, your parents are favorable to it.  The penance would remove all your grief and impurities. Lord Bhrama created the Universe/Prapancha with the strength of Thapsya, Lord Vishnu preserves the Universe and its living beings, and Lord Shambhu destroys it with his Thapsya and Lord Adishesha holding the Universe and its living beings on his hood with the power of Tapasya. Oh! Bhavani, the entire Universe is created with the power of penance, therefore keeping this in mind, undertake penance.”

Devi Mena stunned to listen to her daughter Uma, shortly she described the dream of Uma to Lord Himavan. In this way, Goddess Girija pacified her parents and happily left to woods for Tapasya. Her family and relatives were saddened at her decision to leave the palace and undergo extreme austerities in the woods. At that moment, Sage Vedashira arrived in the abode of Mount Himavan and consoled them, he explained the splendor of Parvathi, and got relieved from the grief. Thus Devi Uma contemplating the lotus feet of her beloved Lord immersed in extreme austerities in the wood. Her slender and attractive body was not suitable for the harsh conditions of the wood and austerities, even though she refused to take up any comforts. Thus she spends several years contemplating that supreme Lord Mahadeva.  Eventually, she lost the conscious of her body, her devotion multiplied at the feet of Supreme Lord, she continued Tapasya thousands of years consuming the fruits, she consumed leaves for hundred years, sometimes she consumed air and water and continued penance, three thousand years she consumed the dry bale leaves and continued Tapasya, finally she refused that too. In this way, Devi Uma attained the sacred name ‘Aparnna’. Lord Bhrama’s divine voice reverberated on the sky, after seeing the fragile body of Devi Uma as a result of thousands of years of penance “Oh! Girirajakumari, you have succeeded in your penance, kindly stop the extreme austerities, you will attain Lord Thripurari soon. There are several illustrious Rishis and Sages could not undertake Tapasya like you. Oh! Devi, kindly proceed to the abode of Mount Himavan with him, he will be arriving soon in the wood.  Soon you will understand the divine voice is pure and true, shortly you will understand the authenticity of the divine voice as well, and you will meet the Saptharishis in the abode of Mount Himavan.” Goddess Girija was extremely happy after listening to this divine voice.  

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 32 – Dhoha – 31

Devarishi's advice to Devi Uma

Maharishi Narada speaks “Oh! Himavan, the supreme Lord Shambhu is mighty Lord, therefore the marriage of Devi Uma with Lord Shambhu would bring an abundance of auspiciousness. It is difficult to please Lord Maheshwara, but he gets highly pleased with the extreme austerities and penance. If Devi Uma undertakes extreme penance, that would transform her fate with the grace of supreme Lord Thripurari.  There are endless grooms you would find for your daughter, but none are competent as supreme Lord Mahadeva, he is the suitable groom for your daughter. The supreme Lord Mahadeva is most promising to his devotees, he removes all the afflictions of his ardent devotees, he is an ocean of mercy, and he is the source for all the happiness and auspiciousness to his devotees. If you perform thousands and crores of Yoga, Japa and rituals would not bring any results, unless and until you please supreme Lord Mahadeva.” Maharishi Narada meditated upon Lord Hari for a while, he blessed Girija and said “ Oh! Giriraja, leave all your worries, everything will end in an auspicious manner.” Thus, Maharishi Narada returned to Bhramaloka.

Devi Mena speaks to Himavan “Oh! Swami, I did not understand anything from Maharishi Narada’s predictions. We can perform the marriage of our daughter if the groom’s clan and family are good and suitable for our daughter; otherwise, let our daughter remain unmarried forever. Uma is dear to me as my life if Girija did not get married to an appropriate groom, everyone blames Himalaya. Oh! Natha, therefore keep this in your mind, before searching for a groom for Uma, so that I will not regret in future.” Devi Mena prostrated before the feet of Mount Himavan. He looked at his wife and began to speak pleasantly “Oh! Devi, Maharishi Narada’s words will not become untrue, even the moon may emit fire. Oh! Priye, leave all your anxiousness and contemplate upon supreme Lord who is the cause for the birth of Parvathi, he will do all the auspiciousness to her. If you have a great love for your daughter, advise her to undertake penance and attain that supreme Lord Mahadeva, I have not found any other way to get rid of this trouble. The Supreme Lord Shiva/Vrishakethu is supremely handsome and storehouse of virtues, leave all your worries, the supreme Lord Shankara is unblemished and innocent. ” Devi Mena became happy to hear from her husband, retired to the chamber of Girija. Devi Mena met her lovely daughter Uma, her eyes welled up in tears, she embraced her and made her seated on her lap, she could not speak a word and she repeatedly embraced her.

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 31 – Dhoha – 30

Maharishi Narada's predictions on Devi Uma - 2

Maharishi Narada speaks “Oh! Himavan, listen to me carefully, I can read the lines from the palm of your daughter that she will marry to a Yogi who is beyond virtues, free from respects or Karma or misapprehensions, and has no parents. He will be a Yogi of the highest rank, adorned in beautiful hair locks, desireless, mendicant, and wear limited clothes and that too considered as inauspicious.”  Himavan and Devi Mena became utterly disappointed to hear the predictions of Maharishi Narada. Devi Parvathi became extremely happy, even Maharishi Narada could not make out the difference in her. All of them expressed grief, in their own ways; they all have assumed the words of Maharishi Narada will not go wrong. Devi Uma kept those mesmerizing predictions in her heart, it enhanced her devotion at the lotus feet of Lord Shiva, and she was definite that the meeting with the supreme Lord Shiva is not going to be an easy one for her; she kept her qualms secret within her.  The predictions of Maharishi Narada pushed Himavan, Devi Mena, and the elder sisters of Devi Uma into extreme grief. Himavan expressed his anxiousness to Maharishi Narada “Oh! Munisaththama, Oh! Prabho, what should I do? Kindly advise me.”

Maharishi Narada continues “Oh! Himavan, listen to me carefully, it is impossible to re-write or erase the destiny even for the deities, demons, humans, Naga or Sages and Rishis. I shall advise a method to approach this issue in a pleasing manner, everything work at the will of that supreme Lord. There is no doubt that Devi Uma will receive a groom as I have explained to you. I assume all those descriptions are well suited with the supreme Lord Shiva, therefore if she is married to Lord Shiva, all that inauspiciousness would be considered as highest of the fortune in her life. The supreme Lord Hari reclines on the thousand hooded serpent Anantha is not considered as inauspicious, Lord Surya and Lord Agni remove the wetness, no one is complaining about it, all those pure and impure water confluences with the sacred Ganga/Devanadhi that does not affect her auspiciousness. Oh! Himavan, Lord Surya, Lord Agni, sacred river Ganga are auspicious always, therefore none of the impurities tarnish their auspiciousness. The ignorant and dull-minded people take pride in them, ultimately heave themselves into hell and reside there for one Kalpa, how could a Jeevathma compete with the Paramathma? The intellectuals do not consume even if the intoxicating drinks made out of the waters of Ganga, but if it was poured into the waters of Ganga it will get disappeared its impurities, this is the difference between Jeevathma and Paramathma.”

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 30 – Dhoha – 29

 Maharishi Narada's predictions on Devi Uma

Lord Shambhu’s Ganas rushed to the Yaga arena and wrecked them. Sage Bhrigu, who was the chief priest of Yaga made a futile attempt to protect the Yaga ingredients and fire. Lord Shankara came to know about the demise of Devi Sati, could not control his anger and grief, send his emissary Veerabadhra who completely destroyed the Yagna and punished the deities who participated in the Yagna, in this way he taught a good lesson to the deities who proceeded against the command of Lord Shiva. Daksha was severely punished for his enmity towards Lord Shambhu, which was known to the entire world, hence I conclude here.  Devi Sati had attained a boon from Lord Hari, before leaving her mortal coil.  The boon was intense devotion at the feet of Lord Shambhu in all her births,   thus Devi Bhavani born as Parvathi, the daughter of Himavan on her next birth.  Immediately after the birth of Devi Bhavani in the abode of Mount Himavan, the mountains became the richest reservoir of natural wealth and minerals. Soon the saintly people and ascetics settled in these places constructed beautiful hermitages in these sacred lands.  Lord Himavan, assisted these Rishis and Sages, offered beautiful caves and woods as their dwelling place. These lands have become the places of beautiful flowering plants and trees, rich minerals and soils, various streams, and water bodies of crystal clear water, it was the dwelling place of numerous species of birds, creatures, and animals. The wildest animals lived in this wood lived in peace and harmony, thus the birth of Goddess Girija provided all the auspiciousness to Himavan like Rama is promising to his devotees. The abode of Himavan became the reservoir of auspiciousness, his fame was sung by Lord Bhrama and deities, Maharishi Narada came to know about the eminence of Himavan, visited his place. Mount Himavan received Maharishi Narada with great reverence, washed his feet and that water sprinkled all over the palace and sanctified, offered him raised seat. Mount Himavan and his wife Devi Mena prostrated before Maharishi Narada. King Himavan eulogized Maharishi Narada and his fortune to receive him as his guest. Soon he brought his little daughter Parvathi and made her seated at the feet of Maharishi Narada.

Mount Himavan speaks “Oh! Mahamune, Oh! Sarvajja, Oh! Munishwara, kindly describe the virtues and demerits of my daughter.” Maharishi Narada smiled softly and begins to speak “Oh! Himavan, your daughter is the storehouse of all the virtues; she is most beautiful, kind, humble, and extremely talented and intelligent as well. She will be known as Uma, Ambika, Bhavani, and various names. This beautiful young maiden would make a chaste and sincere wife to her husband in the future, she will remain inseparable from her consort, and she would bring an abundance of honor to her parents. She will become most venerable in the whole world, whoever worships her would attain an abundance of piousness, mere utterance of her name would make the woman folks capable to follow the chastity. Oh! Himavan, your daughter has possessed immense auspiciousness; I shall explain her disadvantages as well.”

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 29 – Dhoha – 28

Devi Sati sacrifices her body in the Yogagni

Lord Shiva speaks “ Oh! Devi, you are right, even I was also thought of the same. Your father Daksha did not invite us for the Yaga, he invited all other daughters to participate in this event. He already has enmity towards me, which made you abandon forever. He finds a fault in me in the assembly of Bhrama, hence he is disrespecting me. Oh! Bhavani, If you visit the place where we have uninvited our admiration, respect, reputation, and good nature, everything will be put into the test. Anyone can visit the preceptor, companion, Master, and parental home without an invitation, but should not visit the people who do not offer respect. It won’t bring any good to the visitor.” Lord Shambu tried several attempts to make Devi Sati gets convinced of his words, Alas! she did not absorb even the single advice of Lord Mahadeva, as it was predestined. Devi Sati did not understand the inner meaning of it, Lord Mahadeva repeatedly discouraged her not to visit the place where she was not invited that could bring ill fortune to her. Finally, Lord Mahadeva understood Devi Sati is not going to withdraw herself from her decision to visit Dhaksha, hence he advised his Ganas to follow her and bade farewell to her.

Goddess Bhavani arrived in the palace of Dhaksha was not received with respect, all were scared of Daksha. Her mother approached her with a great love for her daughter, embraced her with tears. Her sisters have received her with a lovely smile, Dhaksha did not even greet her or looked at her. He was in extreme rage witnessing Devi Bhavani with all those Ganas. Devi Sati moved towards the Yagna arena, she could not witness any offerings to Lord Shambhu, instantly she remembered the words of supreme Lord. Once again, she felt deeply hurt by her deed; she could not bear the insult to Lord Shambhu. Devi Sati who was already besieged with the sorrow of rejection from the Lord does not feel it as hurt at all, but the disrespect to his beloved Lord Mahadeva was unbearable to her. The world is heap of various sorrows, but the humiliation to the beloved one would be intolerable always. Devi Sati was annoyed, her mother tried to pacify her daughter, unfortunately, nothing did work, she could not control her anger against the insult to her beloved husband, she addressed the huge assembly of Dhaksha and spoken in a rage “ Oh! Respected members, illustrious Sages, and Rishis, whoever disrespects Lord Shankara and listens to the disregard for Lord Shankara would undergo punishment for your sins. My father will undergo extreme afflictions for his deed. Wherever Lord Shambhu, Lord Vishnu, illustrious Rishis, and Sages are humiliated, the people who commit such mistake should be punished harshly and cut their tongue or you should close your ears or run away from that place. The supreme Lord Maheshwara is the Lord of the Universe, he is the essence of the Universe, Thripurari is the father of the Universe and promising to all the living beings. He was insulted by my dull-minded father; I have obtained this body from Daksha. Therefore, I am sacrificing this body meditating upon that Lord Chandramouli who is Vrishakethu.” Thus, Devi Sati immersed in Yoga, eventually, she was immersed in a colossal fire from the Yogagni. Soon the entire Yaga arena was wrapped in huge chaos.